Your name must be “Master Procrastinator.” You are again late deciding what to buy for that special loved one for Christmas. It’s as if you never look at the calendar. Now it’s less than a week before the big day. So, you pick up your smartphone, and with a few taps, you Google, “what should I buy for my [fill-in-the-blank]? First, you are surprised to see the question auto-fills the search field. Then, you are further surprised. Random ideas popped up because you are not the only one unsure what to buy a loved one as a gift. A few more taps and a credit card later, a confirmation dings your inbox. Amazon even suggests what to buy for your wife on this link. The journey of your Christmas gift is like magic! Right?
Most people must understand that many processes must align to make that magic work. These processes include complicated international treaties. There are foreign and domestic laws and mutual recognition agreements. There are also standards on technology and manufacturing, logistics protocol, banking regulations, currency exchange rate markets, and transportation equipment (trucks, boats, trains, planes, cars). The software, internet protocols, and fuel all ensure you get your gift. Oh, I forgot the e-commerce platform that connects all these variables. Don’t also forget the labor supply. There are millions of people working on getting your stuff to you.
I am referring to business-to-consumer (B2C) Internet or e-commerce shopping. Here are some of the steps that happen when you hit submit for an order on your phone:
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- Perhaps you know what you want or were influenced by suggestive ads;
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- In any case, you decide what you want: that LAND brand purse set will do the trick;
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- In the online store, you choose the color and shipping time and add your credit card;
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- The bank checks your credit card to make sure it can handle the purchase, and you get an e-mail receipt;
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- Likely the factory and warehouse have been using analytics to know there is a high probability you will order that bag;
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- The warehouse or distribution center picks and packs your gift. This task could be done by either a human or a robot. Then they ship t to the airport for the next stage. Sometimes it comes from a distribution house, so it’s via truck to its destination;
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- It arrives at the destination, clears customs, international laws, and customs tariffs (no contraband);
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- Finally, your product travels to your home by a last-mile truck. Then, the kind delivery person deposits your gift on your front step. Hopefully, you don’t lose it from a bad neighbor or a passerby who takes it. Finally, you open your box to find your gift wrapped as you ordered;
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- Secretly, you put it under the Christmas tree as if you had thought of it all the time and merely had it stashed.
You are the hero on December 25. Well done!
I left out many steps to make it uncomplicated for those unfamiliar with the logistics industry. When you see a truck, plane, or ship, the point to keep in mind is that thousands of people work in logistics to help you get that gift. Trade negotiators, lawyers, diplomats, software engineers, truck drivers, pilots, and warehouse managers work to serve the system you survive on.
During peak seasons like Christmas, the pressure is on. Airports and seaport cargo become crowded, and e-commerce couriers are busy. The system must handle many more packages than average. They work, whether rain or shine, 24/7 to make sure we get our gifts.
So, please, for next year, order early and hide the gift until Christmas.